Sauber, who wiꦛll ev🌃olve into Audi in 2026, have warned that they will be “a player” in the F1 driver market.

The ar🧸rival of the German manufacturing powerhouse Audi into Formula 1 means that they are alreဣady preparing the team for its evolution.

That includes the potentia🤡l arrival 🐼of coveted drivers for Sauber next year.

Car൩los Sainz is t🐼he key name who is being linked with the project.

Red B𝕴ull’s Helmut Marko has claimed they cannot “match or beat” a big-money offer from Audi to Sainz.

"There are 14 drivers without a conꩲtract fixed for next y♒ear. We are speaking with different drivers," said Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

"It is not the time fo🐓r us to make any decision. It'🍌s time to provide our drivers with a performing car.

"But we are happy that it seems that we can play a role - a different role - in🍒 the driver market for the future.

“Thanks to the Audi announ♛cement, and the investments that will be done in order to improve our team.

"Fin🦹ally we are attractive. And we are not the spectators. We are a player in the market."

Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas currently make up Sauber’s driver duo but both of their contracts expire this year, 𓆏and both are at-risk of losing their drives.

Ferrari’s Sainz and Haas’ Nico Hul🐠kenberg have been heavily linked with moving to Sauber to then spearhead Audi’s entry ♋from 2026.

Alunni Bravi refused to conf꧒irm any targets, but said: "It's not appropriate to discuss or to disclose what could be the discussioꦺn in place.

"No one really knows what other teams are offering to the d𓂃rivers or discussing with the dr📖ivers.

“We don't want to be part ♑of a game that is done by others.

"Every dri🧸ver is speaking with a lot of teams to understand the situation.

“To understand if there could be a common vision on the project. Especially for 𓂃a team like us, that is in full transformation process ahead of 2026.

"Bu⭕t we are foc🃏used on our drivers, and we respect our drivers.”